Whenever electrical or electromechanical devices like valves, motors, heaters or lamps have to be switched on or off, a driver and a switch are needed to convert a digital signal (e.g., an output signal of a microcontroller) into a current flowing through the load. Two widespread possibilities are in use—the high-side driver, as shown in FIG. 2, and the low-side driver, as shown in FIG. 1 (both explained in detail later). Both possibilities use the same components, but are different in the way they are protected and need different supply voltages. Sometimes both drivers are needed in one application, as in H-bridge motor drivers (a schematic diagram of which is shown in FIG. 3), but often just one kind of driver is needed. Which one is preferred depends on the application and on individual design strategies. Normally the customer decides which option is used; however, this decision leads to some disadvantages. From the moment one kind of driver is ordered, the customer is locked into either a high-side or a low-side driver. If changes occur within the project that would lead to a change in decision, it can be expensive for the customer to have to place a new order for drivers of the other kind. Also, if the customer has a similar project, but one which uses different drivers, a new order has to be placed and the design has to be changed. The manufacturer has to provide the two different drivers, which leads to twice the development effort, twice the production and twice the storing costs. If, however, it could be made possible to provide a product which works, not only as a high-side driver, but also as a low-side driver, these doubled costs could be reduced, leading to a less expensive product. The customer would have the advantage of cost reductions and greater flexibility in the use of the product.